Diary of an Inconsistent Cook #2: Fun to Make Indian Roti/Chapati (Flatbread)

You don’t need one of these, but it sure is cute.

I am always on the lookout for homemade dishes that don’t take a lot of time, use only a few ingredients, but are also enjoyable to make. Roti is one of my favorite things to make because it is so quick. If you make them smaller and then fry the dough, I think they are then called puri. Very delicious, but I don’t tend to walk away unscathed when I fry things. Here is a little raw video that highlights the best part of making these little balloons. Just the cooking part with no fancy titles or music, unless you count the delighted squeals!

This is my “IT” pan. I use this thing for omlettes, crepes, pancakes, roti, tortillas and all manner of flat breads.

Thanks to Manjula’s Kitchen, and Bhavna’s Kitchen I was finally able to make puffed roti, rather than air hockey pucks. I am unable, despite my best efforts, to make roti rise with just a spatula and frying pan. Getting the circular shape is a challenge because I use my regular wooden rolling pin rather than the special hand roti maker. I also used a regular pancake griddle, but the special pan is called a Tava. With this simple set up on my electric stove I am able to get them to balloon properly 80-90% of the time. To make these I used: unbleached whole wheat flour, vegetable oil, and a little salt using Bhavna’s proportions.